Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Chaseize’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Charm Chrysanthemum cultivar is provided that is the result of a controlled breeding program. Attractive small daisy-like blossoms are formed in profusion in clusters having green disc florets that change to yellow with maturity and two rows of pink ray florets that change to light pink towards the extremity with maturity. The growth habit is bushy, dense, and well-branched with short internodes and yields a generally uniform and spherical overall plant. The foliage is small and dark green in coloration, and blends nicely with the blossom coloration. The upper surface of the leaves possesses a margin that is light greyed-green in coloration. The response time is approximately eight weeks. The natural flowering time is late-October. When mature the blossoms emit pollen that is yellow in coloration. The plant grows well in pots, and possesses no particular susceptibility to insects and diseases.

Botanical/commercial classification: Ajania pacifica/Decorative Pot Mum.

Varietal denomination: cv. ‘Chaseize’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Ajania pacifica, and hereafter is referred to by the cultivar name ‘Chaseize’.

The new cultivar of the present invention was created at Nuaillé, France during the course of a controlled breeding program. The seed parent (i.e., the female parent) was an unnamed plant of the species, and the pollen parent (i.e., the male parent) was designated ‘92/27/3’. Neither parent was patented in the United States. The seeds resulting from the cross were sown and small plants were obtained which were physically and biologically different from each other. Selective study resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new cultivar of the present invention.

It was found that the new Charm Chrysanthemum cultivar of the present invention displays:

(a) a bushy, dense, well-branched, and generally spherical growth habit with short internodes,

(b) profusely forms attractive small daisy-like blossoms having green disc florets that change to yellow with maturity, and two rows of pink ray florets that change to light pink towards the extremity with maturity,

(c) forms decorative small dark green leaves with a greyed-green margin on the upper leaf surface,

(d) forms yellow pollen when the blossoms are mature, and

(e) an ability to grow well in pots.

The new cultivar can be grown singly or in clumps in pots. It also can be grown in the landscape. The yellow and pink blossoms blend nicely with the gray-green foliage. The plant is self-branching and the internodes are short. Pinching is helpful to further enhance branching and produces a large number of shoots; however, such pinching is not necessary since the plant already is inherently well branched. The natural flowering time is late-October.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by the use of cuttings as performed at Nuaillé, France, in a controlled environment has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual propagation.

The new cultivar can be readily distinguished from its parental plants. More specifically, the female parent displays yellow flowers, a less bushy growth habit, and a natural flowering approximately three weeks later than the new cultivar. The ‘92/27/3’ male parent forms dissimilar semi-double purple flowers, and more typical foliage that lacks a greyed-green margin on the upper leaf surface that is possessed by the new cultivar. No other closely related cultivar is known to Applicant.

‘Chaseize’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light, day length, contact with pesticides and/or subjection to grown regulation treatments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying FIG. 1 depicts a typical eighteen week-old plant of ‘Chaseize’ cultivar while growing in a pot in a greenhouse at Nuaillé, France. The attractive compact spherical growth habit, with a substantially homogenous coverage of yellow and pink blossoms, and dark green foliage with a lighter grey-green margin on the upper leaf surface are illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The plants described were grown in pots in a greenhouse at Nuaillé, France. No growth regulation was used. The growing conditions approximate those commonly utilized for the commercial production of decorative pot mums.

General appearance: Bushy and dense with a generally spherical growth habit. The internodes are short and commonly measure approximately 10 to 25 mm on average. When a cutting is placed during week 23 in a four-liter pot, the resulting plant commonly will display a height of approximately 30 to 32 cm on average and a width of approximately 50 to 55 cm on average at the end of flowering during late October.

Foliage: The leaves are small and commonly are approximately 4 to 6 cm in length on average. Each leaf possesses rough serration and commonly consists of five lobes. The lobes generally are rounded at the tips, the inferior lobe is relatively short and occasionally is absent, and the sinus between lobes generally is obtuse. The upper leaf surface is dark green (near Green Group 139A) and bears a light-colored margin of near Greyed-Green Group 191A as illustrated in FIG. 1. The under leaf surface also is near Greyed-Green Group 191A in coloration. The nervure coloration is near Greyed-Green Group 191A on the upper and under leaf surfaces. The stem is near Greyed-Brown Group 199A in coloration and commonly assumes a coloration of Greyed-Purple Group 183C at the point of leaf insertion. The petiole is near Greyed-Green Group 191A in coloration.

Flowers: The attractive small daisy-like blossoms are formed in clusters. The buds possess a smooth surface texture, commonly are approximately 0.8 to 1 cm in length on average and are near Red-Purple Group 74B to 74C in coloration. The flower coverage is substantially homogeneous across the plant. Accordingly, the flowers are so closely grouped as to substantially cover the circumference of the dome-shaped plant. The flowers possess no fragrance. The disc florets initially are green and change to yellow with maturity. The ray florets are present in two rows and are pink (near Red-Purple Group 66C) and change to light pink towards the extremity (near Red-Purple Group 69C) with maturity. The petal number commonly is approximately 30 to 40 on average, and the petals commonly measure approximately 1 to 1.2 cm on average. The flower diameter when mature commonly ranges from approximately 10 to 15 mm. The stigma is near Yellow Group 1B in coloration. The styles, filaments, and anthers are so small and slim that it is not possible to determine their coloration and to provide additional characterization using standard evaluation techniques. Yellow pollen (near Yellow Group 1B) commonly is displayed in the mature blossoms.

Flower time: The natural flowering time is late-October. The flowers commonly last approximately 6 to 8 days on average on the plant and such longevity commonly is influenced by the environmental condition that are encountered.

Response time: The time between the beginning of the short day period and the flowering date at normal temperature and light intensity is approximately eight weeks.

Usage: Decorative pot mum. No particular susceptibility to diseases and pests has been observed during the growing of the new cultivar to date. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Charm Chrysanthemum plant that displays: (a) a bushy, dense, well-branched, and generally spherical growth habit with short internodes, (b) profusely forms attractive small daisy-like blossoms having green disc florets that change to yellow with maturity, and two rows of pink ray florets that change to light pink towards the extremity with maturity, (c) forms decorative small dark green leaves with a greyed-green margin on the upper leaf surface, (d) forms yellow pollen when the blossoms are mature, and (e) an ability to grow well in pots; substantially as illustrated and described. 